Breaking: Punjab Bar Associations to resume Court work for one day on August 3
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 31, 2026: Bar Associations across Punjab will suspend their ongoing “No Work” protest against the Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) Policy for one day only on August 3, following a majority decision of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Bar Associations of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
The decision was taken during a virtual meeting of presidents and secretaries of Bar Associations across Punjab.
The temporary suspension has been announced as a token of respect ahead of a proposed meeting between representatives of the Bar Associations and the Chief Justice of India regarding their demand for the complete rollback of the LADC Policy.
According to the JAC, nearly 73 per cent of the participating Bar Associations supported the proposal to suspend the strike for August 3, while around 27 per cent opposed it and favoured continuing the agitation.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had clarified that the complete rollback of the LADC Policy did not fall within its jurisdiction. However, taking note of the concerns raised by the legal fraternity, the High Court facilitated a meeting of representatives of Bar Associations from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with the Chief Justice of India.
The JAC said court work would resume only on August 3 and the strike would automatically restart from August 4 if the meeting failed to produce a positive outcome, particularly on the demand for the complete withdrawal of the policy.
It added that protest demonstrations, dharnas and hunger strikes would also continue if the issue remained unresolved. The JAC further clarified that individual Bar Associations would remain free to follow the decisions taken by their respective General Houses and could continue their protests if they did not support the majority resolution.
The committee also announced that the agitation would be intensified from August 4 in the absence of a favourable outcome. A dharna has been planned at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 7, for which the necessary permission has already been obtained.
The JAC has invited representatives from Bar Associations across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to participate in the proposed meeting with the Chief Justice of India, irrespective of their stand on the one-day suspension of the strike.